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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California reportedly stole a minivan and engaged in a hours-long police chase culminating with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

According to a police statement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, 45, reported that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her car key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“My keys were stolen from my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up just as it was happening,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 12 miles north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit continued into Los Angeles county. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the operation to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the sense of the traffic conditions allowing drivers to persist on the highway and extend this chase,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson reportedly dodged all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by police, as seen in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the CHP to terminate the chase due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner stated on the following day that the minivan was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” she remarked. “I’m relieved knowing she wasn’t hurt. The car is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run the recovery residence since last October, acknowledges that the path to recovery from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

“This is a psychological and addiction crisis,” she said. “There is a need for more support. We need greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery can be messy,” she added.